chronicles of an igorot in australia. a photoblog in parts, this is intended as a diary, travelogue, memoir, journal, palimpsest, igorot blog, accounts of misadventures, running battles or whatever it turns out to be. there might be souls out there with common interests. do post a comment.

Thursday, 5 July 2012

I'll learn to read soon, in June.

Black Mass: Apocalyptic Religion
and the Death of Utopia.

John Grayis the author of many critically
acclaimed books. A regular contributor toThe
New York Review of Books, he is a professor of European thought at the
London School of Economics.

I tend to agree with a reviewer who opines that Gray is too pessimistic
and negative.

Michio
Kaku. Physics of the future.

A review from the NY times: Reading a dull, charmless nonfiction book is almost always better than
reading a dull, charmless novel. With a nonfiction book, you might at least
learn something.It’s definitely better than
nothing. I am not sure than books on science and technology need to be ‘charming’.

This is the first collection of essays from scientist and author Richard
Dawkins. Dawkins's essays are lively, fascinating, and based on scientific
facts. He delves in many different areas including personal relationships. Dawkins
is engaging and keeps reminding his readers to remain curious, ask questions,
and to live the examined life.

I Have Landed: The End of a Beginning
in Natural Historyby Stephen Jay Gould.

Gould’s final collection is a stimulating journey into the wonders
of scientific discovery and his most personal. Richard Dawkins (above) shared correspondences with Gould, in the short time leading to the latter’s passing away.

Haruki
murakami 1Q84.

Not everyone’s cup of tea, but everyone’s not all from the west either.
Storytelling is not all about formulaic best-selling western authors, but the
readers be the judge. A couple of formulaic best-selling
western authors are John Grisham (The Litigators), and Robert Ludlum (The something title). I know what I’d rather have on my shelf.

Hitchens vs Blair debate. Be it resolved religion is a force for
good in the world.

A
far-ranging discussion on one of humankind’s most vexing questions,
tackled in the 6th semi-annual Munk Debate by two debaters, one the world's
most famous recent Roman Catholic convert in the shape of ex-PMTony Blairand the now departed (cancer) charismatic scepticChristopher Hitchens. The full debate is on youtube: